December, 2003

Dear Class of 1967,

Our 40th Reunion creeps closer (June 1-3, 2007), which means mark your calendars now!

I attended the Alumnae Volunteers Weekend at the end of October and the campus is beautiful in the late autumn. I had never noticed the labyrinth before and carefully walked from the outside to center (It’s near the copper beech on the slope overlooking Rhoads North). The path filled with bark shavings winds through low plantings that can be easily stepped over and I did just that to exit. The College reported to us about the status of budget, current students, and recruiting applicants. The budget must somehow absorb the costs of financial aid, salaries, maintenance of buildings and grounds, and equipment for the sciences and acquisitions for the libraries. Current students are still “cussed individuals,” but, as Dean Karen Tidmarsh reported, much more electronically connected than ever before, including long sessions at e-mail and cell phone conversations with parents. Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Jenny Rickard gave a fascinating presentation analyzing U.S. News and World Report’s rankings of Bryn Mawr over the past decade. The ranking is based on a survey of such items as “yield” (how many applicants accept the college’s acceptance letter) and student / faculty ratio as well as a whole lot more. For me the most interesting fact presented: For all the fluctuation in rank over the years, the magazine’s rank does not seem to affect the number of applicants.

The Alumnae Volunteers attended workshops on planning for alumnae giving and reunions (not just ours), and for me, how to be a good Class President. We volunteers also ate and drank. The Carpenter Library Atrium in the new archeology library, which is not all that new anymore, was the site of our cocktail reception on Saturday. The ghosts of reserve reading in really bad light fluttered by as we ate dinner in the Thomas Great Hall.

Would anyone like to be Class Webmistress? The Alumnae Association will now “webhost” on the Alumnae Association’s server. Go to http://brynmawr.edu/alumnae/Volunteers/guidelines.htm for more information. Contact me (pmilbouer@att.net) if you would like to volunteer.

The Alumnae Regional Scholars program is now administered by the Office of Undergraduate Deans. Only financial aid recipients are eligible for the award. Scholars chosen as the outstanding representatives for their regions may also apply for internship grants through the Dean’s Office.

While some of you are busy becoming grandmothers, we have adopted a dog. Hank is an Australian Blue Heeler and is very busy herding us.

Happy Holidays to you all and to your family and friends,

Penny Milbouer,
Class President, 1967